Eisteddfod announce winner of TH Parry-Williams Memorial Medal

Nation Cymru staff

Choral director and vocal coach Islwyn Evans has been named as the recipient of the TH Parry-Williams Memorial Medal at the 2026 National Eisteddfod.

Fifty years after the medal was first awarded, it is presented this year by Menter Iaith Sir Benfro, with a particular emphasis on work with young people.

Originally from Henllan Amgoed, near Whitland, Carmarthenshire, Islwyn Evans has led choirs in Wales for more than forty years. He began his career as a musician studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where he focused on developing young voices.

He later received the British Federation’s Youth Choir Conductor award and a Winston Churchill Fellowship, which enabled him to travel to Sweden and Hungary to study the art of training children’s choirs. In 1985, he founded the Dyffryn Teifi Youth Choir, before establishing Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion in 1993. Under Islwyn’s voluntary leadership, the school continues to develop the musical, instrumental and vocal skills of young people.

He received the news of the award at a choir rehearsal. Speaking afterwards, he said: “I was completely taken by surprise in the middle of a rehearsal in June. I was speechless at the time and didn’t know what to think.

“It is a great honour to receive this medal, especially considering what it represents and the distinguished people who have received it over the years.”

Under his direction, Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion has won the Côr Cymru title on three occasions and has achieved success in choral competitions at the National Eisteddfod and the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

When the first generation of the Ysgol Gerdd members were keen to continue singing, in 2003 he established a mixed voice choir, Cywair. They went on to win the Côr Cymru title twice and were crowned Choir of the World at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in 2005.

Iwan Griffiths, who supported Islwyn Evans’ nomination for the honour, said: “It is impossible to measure the countless hours Islwyn has given without asking for anything in return. By holding rehearsals free of charge, he removes the financial barriers that so often prevent young people from accessing high-quality music education.

“What Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion community offers goes far beyond vocal training. It provides a safe space where children and young people can build confidence, express themselves, and develop a sense of belonging.”

Islwyn Evans will receive the Sir TH Parry-Williams Memorial Medal on the Pavilion stage on Tuesday 4 August at 12:00.

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